IDENTITY STATEMENT
Reference code(s): GB 0096 AL 504
Held at: Senate House Library, University of London
Title: 1874 election for Buckinghamshire county constituency
Date(s): 1874-1877
Level of description: collection
Extent: 1 volume, containing 6 items
Name of creator(s): Disraeli | Benjamin | 1804-1881 | 1st Earl of Beaconsfield | statesman x Beaconsfield | 1st Earl of
Corry | Montagu William Lowry | 1838-1903 | 1st Baron Rowton | politician and philanthropist
Gower | Granville George | Leveson- | 1815-1891 | 2nd Earl Granville | statesman x Leveson-Gower | Granville George x Granville | 2nd Earl
CONTEXT
Administrative/Biographical history:
Benjamin Disraeli was born in 1804 and educated in London. His family were of Italian Jewish origin, but he was baptized as Anglican aged 13. He worked for a solicitor and then as a journalist and novelist, and travelled widely before entering politics. Disraeli entered the House of Commons as MP for Maidstone in 1837, and subsequently served as MP for Shrewsbury (1841-1847) and Buckinghamshire (1847-1876). He was leader of the Conservative Party between 1868 and 1881 and served twice as Prime Minister; as premier, his working relationship with Queen Victoria was particularly good. Disraeli's wife Mary Anne (the widow of the manufacturer Wyndham Lewis) was a strong supporter of his political career. He was created Earl of Beaconsfield in 1876; the title became extinct on his death.
Montagu William Lowry Corry was born in London in 1838 and educated at Harrow School and at Trinity College, Cambridge. He was called to the Bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1863. In 1865, Corry met the politician Benjamin Disraeli, who became a close friend; he remained Disraeli's supporter, confidant and unofficial secretary until the latter's death in 1881. Corry was created Baron Rowton in 1880 and became a member of the privy council in 1900. In later life he was also involved in developing accommodation for poor people. He had several illegitimate children but never married; his title became extinct on his death.
Granville George Leveson-Gower was born in Westminster in 1815 and educated at Eton and at Christ Church, Oxford. He served as Whig MP for Morpeth (1837-1840) and Lichfield (1841-1846) before succeeding his father in the House of Lords as Earl Granville. Granville held several political posts, but is best known for serving as Foreign Secretary under William Gladstone (1870-1874, 1880-1885).
CONTENT
Scope and content/abstract:
Papers of 1874 election for Buckinghamshire county constituency, 1874 and 1877, comprise correspondence concerning the elections. The collection includes a letter from Disraeli, at 10 Downing Street, London to Colonel Caulfield Pratt, S Christie Miller and Richard Rose, agreeing to allow the subscribers to pay his election expenses: 'I can only look upon it as the act of a generous and high spirited constituency, which, though I may not merit, it would be presumption to decline' (6 May 1874); privately printed circular concerning the scheme for subscription, including a printed copy of three letters and a list of subscribers (undated [May 1874]); a letter from Corry, 10 Downing Street, to Christie-Miller, regarding the subscription scheme (4 Mar 1874); letter from Corry, 10 Downing Street, to Christie-Miller, enclosing a copy of item (1) (6 May 1874); letter from Leveson-Gower, Windsor Castle, to Mrs Christie-Miller, stating the train he would be catching (16 November 1877) and a printed circular bearing the same text as the first two pages of item (2) (undated), items (1-2) bound in a volume labelled: 'The Right Hon. B. Disraeli, Prime Minister[.] Election for the County of Bucks, 1874'; the remaining items enclosed in a pocket at the front of the volume.
ACCESS AND USE
Language/scripts of material: English
System of arrangement:
Arranged as in Scope and Content.
Conditions governing access:
Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.
Conditions governing reproduction:
Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.
Physical characteristics:
MS and printed. Bound in brown morocco gilt by Rivière.
Finding aids:
Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.
ARCHIVAL INFORMATION
Accruals:
Archival history:
Unknown
Immediate source of acquisition:
Unknown
ALLIED MATERIALS
DESCRIPTION NOTES
Note:
A group of electors in Disraeli's Buckinghamshire constituency, wishing to see him return to parliament at the 1874 general election, collected subscriptions with the aim of covering his election expenses. Disraeli was elected and became prime minister. See R W Davis 'Political Change and Continuity, 1760-1885: a Buckinghamshire Study' (1972) p 201 - see Library classmark MVRM Dav.
Archivist's note: Compiled by Samantha Velumyl.
Date(s) of descriptions: April 2008